French Montre Simple watch with dead centre seconds Circa 1831

Pink and yellow gold open faced watch by Breguet
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A fine French pink and yellow gold open faced watch, Montre Simple à Grande Secondes, with dead centre seconds, stop slide, and eccentric subsidiary seconds, circa 1831.  Movement, 22”’ inverted calibre with a ruby cylinder escapement, flat balance, spiral spring with bimetallic compensation curb, and parachute suspension. The dead centre seconds mechanism is visible on the central bridge, with the centre seconds wheel engaged by a small toothed wheel mounted to the escape wheel. An adjacent jewel mounted spring provides the break, while a polished steel lever beneath stops and starts the centre seconds via a slide mounted to the band beside the pendant. The silver engine turned dial includes a satin finished chapter ring with black Roman numerals, an outer minute ring, offset subsidiary seconds, and dead centre seconds. All hands are crafted from blued steel. The dial is signed and numbered Breguet 3746.
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The gold case features an engine turned back and bezel, with a small circular central cartouche engraved with a thistle and bee crest. The yellow gold engine turned band is complemented by a polished gold cuvette with apertures for winding and setting. It is signed and numbered Breguet Horger De La Marine Royale no. 3746. The gold pendant and bow, along with the inside back, are numbered B 3746 and 45. The case maker’s mark is a lozenge shaped cartouche with a bird and pellet above and below the initials L J for Joly, and the case back and pendant bear Paris control marks for 1819-1838.
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This Montre Simple à Grande Secondes watch was delivered to professeur Schumacher D’altona circa 1831. Accompanied by a Breguet certificate dated January 29, 2020, this document indicates that the exact sale date is unknown, but it is approximately dated to 1831. The watch was initiated in 1821 and completed in 1831. Records further show that it was returned by Professor Schumacher in 1834, refurbished in 1859, and eventually resold in January 1865 to Rev. Hawkins for 500 Francs.
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Diameter: 55 mm
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Signed: Breguet
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The movement is running smoothly, and the dead seconds function is performing well. The stop/start slide is also operational. The dial is in good overall condition. The case is in good condition, with the covers maintaining a well defined engine turned decoration. There are a couple of small scratches on the bezel to the left of the pendant, along with some minor rubbing on the pendant and bow.
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Professor Heinrich Christian Schumacher (1780-1850) was a distinguished astronomer and mathematician. Born in Bramstedt, Holstein, Germany, he pursued his education at the Altona Gymnasium. Schumacher held the position of Professor of Astronomy at Copenhagen University from 1808 to 1813. Subsequently, he served as the Director of the Mannheim Observatory from 1813 to 1815, before becoming the Professor and Director of the Copenhagen Observatory in 1815. In recognition of his contributions, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of London in 1821 and the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1822. Schumacher married Christine Madelaine Schoon in 1812 and passed away in Altona on December 28, 1850. 
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The dead centre seconds, which can be started and stopped via the slide beside the pendant, would have provided an excellent and clear means by which the professor could time seconds during his studies.